WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Festuca rubra ssp. & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water creeping red fescue in California

In July in the Central Valley, established creeping red fescue needs about 1.9 gallons a week for a plant 2 feet across. Creeping red fescue is a fine-textured, cool-season grass native across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including much of California. It spreads by creeping rhizomes into a soft, rough turf of narrow green or blue-gray blades. Mowed, it makes a lawn for shady spots, and left alone it grows into an arching meadow 1 to 2 feet tall. It likes cool weather and well-drained soil.

Ornamental grassCalifornia nativeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water creeping red fescue, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for creeping red fescue and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: the plant’s WUCOLS rating times your city’s climate for the month, over the area the plant covers. Skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • A screwdriver that pushes in hard through dry soil under the turf says the root zone needs a soaking
  • Turf going tan and slowing in hot weather can be the summer dormancy of a cool-season grass rather than simple thirst
  • Ground that squelches underfoot hours after watering means too much water for a grass that needs good drainage
  • Thin or bare spots after heavy wear fill in slowly, since this grass rebounds slowly from damage
  • Runners showing up beyond the bed edge come from creeping rhizomes, not from extra water

How to water it

  • Spread water evenly over the whole planting so the sod is moist about 6 inches down
  • Wait until the top inch or two of soil has dried before running the next soaking
  • Sow seed in late fall for best results, and keep the seedbed moist until the grass knits together
  • Mow at 2 to 3 inches, or skip mowing for a loose meadow look
  • Grow it in well-drained soil in sun or part shade, choosing a shadier spot in hot inland gardens

Through the seasons

Plant seed or plugs in late fall, and keep them moist until they knit into turf. Established grass grows most in the cool months and often goes dormant in summer heat, when hot climates also bring summer diseases. Flower stems with tawny heads rise from spring into summer. WUCOLS rates creeping red fescue low water on the north-central coast. In the Central Valley, on the south coast, in South Inland and in the low desert, it rates moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert. Winter rain usually keeps it green on the coast and in the Central Valley.

In pots

Creeping red fescue can carpet a wide, shallow planter or soften the edge of a large container. Fill it with a well-drained potting mix, and make sure the base has drainage holes. In summer heat, check the mix every couple of days and water when the top inch feels dry. Water until it seeps from the bottom, then pour off what collects in the saucer. Shear the blades if you want a level surface. In winter, water only after the mix dries.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.711.42.12.90.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Creeping Red Fescue: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.78–0.78
Feb0.210.650.810.87–0.93
Mar0.351.091.151.3–1.52
Apr0.471.521.41.61–1.95
May0.582.081.611.95–2.45
Jun0.642.481.742.29–2.79
Jul0.642.671.982.51–2.85
Aug0.62.391.862.33–2.6
Sep0.51.81.491.86–2.08
Oct0.351.181.151.33–1.49
Nov0.190.560.840.9–0.96
Dec0.120.340.650.68–0.68
Year4.817.1115.518.41–21.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like creeping red fescue. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Tall Oat GrassArrhenatherum elatiusmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple Moor GrassMolinia caeruleamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySheep FescueFestuca ovina and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyEulalia GrassMiscanthus sinensis ssp. & cvsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySwitch GrassPanicum virgatum ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBlack PennisetumPennisetum alopecuroides ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBlood GrassImperata cylindrica ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStrawberriesFragaria spp. & cvs. (CA native and non-natives species)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWestern ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifoliamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen Supreme ManzanitaArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Green Supreme'moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyButtonbushCephalanthus occidentalismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBunchberryCornus canadensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain DogwoodCornus nuttalliimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than creeping red fescue in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Quaking GrassBriza medialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTufted HairgrassDeschampsia cespitosa and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJune GrassKoeleria macrantha (cristata)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFalse Esparto GrassLygeum spartumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue FescueFestuca glauca ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBaltic RushJuncus balticuslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGiant Needle GrassStipa gigantealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPerennial HollyhockAlcea rosea cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMadroneArbutus menziesiilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMacNab CypressHesperocyparis macnabiana (Cupressus macnabiana)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia JuniperJuniperus californicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLippia GroundcoverPhyla nodiflora (Lippia nodiflora) cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyKnobcone PinePinus attenuatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoulter PinePinus coulterilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPinyon PinePinus edulislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes creeping red fescue, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How much should I water creeping red fescue in summer?

In July, established creeping red fescue needs about 1.9 gallons in the Central Valley, 1.4 gallons on the south coast and 1.8 gallons in the South Inland zone each week, for a plant 2 feet across. Water deeply and let the top of the soil dry before the next watering. Skip a watering after a soaking rain.

How much water does creeping red fescue need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established creeping red fescue needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for creeping red fescue change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates creeping red fescue separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Can creeping red fescue be used as a lawn?

Yes. It is one of the finest-textured cool-season lawn grasses, and it can be mowed or left natural. It rebounds slowly from damage, so keep heavy foot traffic off it.

Does creeping red fescue grow in shade?

Yes. It is highly tolerant of shade and does well in part or dappled shade. It also handles the dappled light under a high tree canopy.

Is creeping red fescue native to California?

Yes. Red fescue grows wild in much of California, including along the coast. Selections such as 'Point Joe' and 'Molate' are grown as low groundcovers.

Why does my red fescue turn brown in summer?

As a cool-season grass it often goes dormant in summer heat, and hot climates also bring summer diseases. In hot inland gardens, a spot with afternoon shade suits it better.

Can you overwater creeping red fescue?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and turf that stays soggy suffers. Let the top of the soil dry before each deep watering.

How tall does creeping red fescue get?

Left unmowed, it reaches 1 to 2 feet with arching blades. Low selections such as 'Molate' stay 6 to 12 inches tall. As a lawn, it is kept at 2 to 3 inches.

More plant watering guides

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Sources